World Breaking News

Most electronics being banned on certain US-bound flights AP Business News

March 21, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government is temporarily barring passengers on certain nonstop U.S.-bound flights from eight Middle Eastern and North African countries from bringing laptops, iPads, cameras and some other electronics in carry-on luggage starting Tuesday. The ban was revealed Monday in statements from Royal Jordanian Airlines and the official news agency of Saudi Arabia. A U.S. official said the ban will apply to nonstop flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The official did not name the airports or the countries. The official was not authorized to disclose the details of the ban ahead of a public announcement and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The reason for the ban was not immediately clear. David Lapan, a spokesman for Homeland Security Department, declined to comment. The Transportation Security Administration, part of Homeland Security, also declined to comment. Royal Jordanian said cellphones and medical devices were excluded from the ban. Everything else, the airline said, would need to be packed in checked luggage. It was unclear to what other countries and airlines the ban would apply. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly phoned lawmakers over the weekend to brief them on aviation security issues that have prompted the impending electronics ban, according a congressional aide briefed on the discussion. The aide was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue and spoke on the condition of anonymity. A U.S. government official said such a ban has been considered for several…more detail

DENVER (AP) — The artist Christo said Wednesday he has abandoned his plan to drape translucent fabric above portions of Colorado's scenic Arkansas River, a proposal that generated fierce opposition and a long court battle. "I no longer wish to wait on the outcome," the 81-year-old artist wrote on a website for the project, called Over the River. He cited 20 years of planning and five years of legal fights. In a story posted Wednesday on The New York Times website, he said his decision was a protest against President Donald Trump. FILE--In this Feb. 11, 2009, file photograph, artist…... [read more]

It's a little before three on a sunny Friday afternoon and Laugardalur Park, near central Reykjavik, looks practically deserted. There's an occasional adult with a pushchair, but the park's surrounded by apartment blocks and houses, and school's out - so where are all the kids? Walking with me are Gudberg Jónsson, a local psychologist, and Harvey Milkman, an American psychology professor who teaches for part of the year at Reykjavik University. Twenty years ago, says Gudberg, Icelandic teens were among the heaviest-drinking youths in Europe. "You couldn't walk the streets in downtown Reykjavik on a Friday night because it felt…... [read more]

Jeffrey C. Price is a professor of aviation management at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and lead author of "Practical Aviation Security: Predicting and Preventing Future Threats." The views expressed are his own. (CNN)The recent attack at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport calls into question of how well our airports are protecting the public areas. In the history of aviation, there have been well over 1,000 attacks on airplanes, mostly using bombs, sabotage and hijackings. However, there have only been a few dozen direct attacks on the airport. This recent attack was not without precedent. A similar attack occurred in…... [read more]

The suspect in a deadly shooting at a Florida airport used a gun that he had stored in his checked luggage, raising questions about airport security and whether safety officials need to change the current rules. Esteban Santiago, 26, retrieved his gun from his bag on the carousel, loaded it in a bathroom of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, then emerged shooting in the baggage-claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration rules prohibit guns in carry-on bags, but they allow passengers to ship guns if they are unloaded, put in a hard-sided, locked…... [read more]

DALLAS (AP) — The suspect in a deadly shooting at a Florida airport used a gun that he had stored in his checked luggage, raising questions about airport security and whether safety officials need to change the current rules. Esteban Santiago, 26, retrieved his gun from his bag on the carousel, loaded it in a bathroom of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, then emerged shooting in the baggage-claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration rules prohibit guns in carry-on bags, but they allow passengers to ship guns if they are unloaded, put in…... [read more]

Korean Air Lines announced on Tuesday that it would be increasing stun gun training for crew members and hiring more male flight attendants in order to better handle violent passengers. The change comes after singer Richard Marx helped crew members subdue an unruly passenger aboard his Dec. 20 flight to Seoul. "Korean Air has incredibly strong security measures but is beefing them up and reinforcing them by increasing Taser training, looking at putting male flight attendants on all flights and it's going to increase the overall training in the cabin," Korean Air spokesperson Penny Pfaelzer told NBC News Tuesday. While…... [read more]

No terror groups have attempted to take credit for the crash of EgyptAir Flight 804, on the fifth day after the plane and 66 people on board disappeared over the Mediterranean. That may mean that something besides terrorists caused the tragedy; it could also mean something more sinister. The most obvious explanation for the silence from jihadists and other terror groups is that they didn't do it. "The big possibility is that it was just an accident, and something happened that took the plane down quickly, probably incapacitating the pilots and making it impossible for them to call in a…... [read more]

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Rejecting his insanity defense, a jury convicted James Holmes of first-degree murder and attempted murder Thursday for killing 12 people and wounding 70 others when he shot up a packed movie theater in a Denver suburb three years ago. The 27-year-old former University of Colorado neuroscience researcher could face the death penalty when he is sentenced for the carefully planned July 20, 2012, attack in Aurora. After an 11-week trial, it took the jury just 12 hours of deliberations over two days to convict Holmes. The first guilty verdict was announced at 4:15 p.m., MT (6:15 p.m.…... [read more]

The drone crash early Monday on the White House grounds illustrated the security challenges in protecting against small, unmanned aircraft, as the Federal Aviation Administration develops rules for drones. The FAA prohibits unauthorized aircraft over the White House, congressional buildings and the National Mall. But small drones, which could carry a camera or other small cargo, are widely available and could be launched without federal permission. Monday's incident involved a quadcopter, which has four small rotors to lift and steer the aircraft, which is about 2 feet in diameter. The Secret Service is investigating. Spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that…... [read more]